Creating the game Diablo, the employees of the small California studio Condor did not even assume that their brainchild would become the face of the genre for the next 10 years. During this period, probably only the lazy made no attempt to repeat the success that the brainchild of Blizzard had. Teams of all calibers and stripes, from Microsoft to a group of Czech geeks, tried to surpass the success of Diablo. However, none of the clones had the slightest chance of victory.
Meanwhile, Blizzard launched the Diablo-2 on the market. Thus, he even more detached from his pursuers. The threat to the success of this game appeared completely unnoticed. She came in 2004 from Germany, her name is Sacred.
In Russia, this fantasy role-playing game is known as the Prince of Darkness. Its creator is the German company Ascaron.
Successful product
Since 1992, Ascaron has been creating economic stimulants. But, despite this, she undertook to develop a new sphere, having begun the implementation of an ambitious project. As it became clear later, the efforts spent were not in vain. The created game Sacred has become a worthy successor to the ideas of Diablo. This success was largely facilitated by the fact that the German company had long supported its brainchild by creating additions and patches. Thanks to these extensions, versions of Sacred Underworld, as well as Sacred +, were proposed, in which the territory of the adventure was almost doubled compared to the original one. A year after the original game was released, it came out with additions in the form of Sacred Gold Edition.
About the game
The product of German developers, without a doubt, has a rather fascinating plot. All adventures take place in a fantasy world, similar to what can be seen when passing Disciples: Sacred Lands - a game created in 1999, in the center of which there are four warring races.
The gameplay of the game, created by German developers, is able to satisfy all, even the most demanding fans of the genre. The plot of this product is created in the tradition of Diablo. There is a hero who will kill the main villain. All other actions are secondary. When passing Sacred, the player will not meet with any upsets. There are no plot twists in the game. At the very beginning of the journey, it becomes clear who is the main villain.
Nevertheless, the game of German developers is fundamentally different from Diablo in its quests. They at Sacred are quite interesting and thought out pretty well. There are also many generator and side quests. In total, there are about 200.
Background
Passing Sacred takes us to Ankaria. The sorcerer Shaddar came to the world of this continent. However, this is not his full nickname. Translated from the language of the dark elves, it means "wanderer of shadows." This is a native of a noble family, a descendant of King Morgast I, who at one time instigated a bloody fratricidal war in the country.
Shaddar went even further. He, dissatisfied with the inherited wealth, came up with the idea to subdue the powers of Darkness. For this, he is ready for anything. For the sake of greatness, he even ruined his sister by sacrificing her.
The community of magicians of the kingdom tried to correct the situation. They decided to burn Shaddar at the stake, and do it as quickly as possible. However, the death penalty by King Valorian I was replaced by exile.
After the above events, several centuries have passed. During this time, Shaddar was in the southern deserts and amassed strength. On lifeless rocks, he built his castle, terrifying ogres, goblins and orcs. Shaddar, who constantly improved his art of black magic, began to recruit an army. Warriors are creatures subject to his witchcraft will.
Shaddar tried to find a way that would allow him to get alive into the kingdom of the dead. There he wanted to make an alliance with the demon Saqqara, who was a descendant of the ruler of all the demons Vorganar, who had been killed in ancient times. The forces of light sent this to Seraphim to stop the attempt of Darkness to take over the world. But years passed, and history repeated itself.
To pass Sacred, the player will need to choose one of 6 characters to go to save the people of Ankaria from death or from turning people into inanimate slaves subordinate to the gloomy sorcerer Shaddar, who returned to the country with an army of ogres, goblins and orcs.
When passing Sacred, we will encounter such heroes as the Forest Elf and the Gladiator, as well as the Dark Elf. The player will get acquainted with the following:
- A war mage who can equally well conjure and fight.
- Seraphim - a female paladin with wings.
- Vampiressa is a stern lady who acts as an ordinary warrior during the day and sucks blood at night.
When passing Sacred 1, the player is given at the disposal of thousands of weapons, as well as hundreds of spells. They will be useful to him when on the way there will be monsters (and there are millions of them) who are ready to do everything possible so that the main character does not fulfill his mission.
Game territory
The Sacred map is quite extensive. The world of Ankaria consists of many regions that differ from each other in climate and relief, nature, fauna and flora. It should be borne in mind that the dominant types of resistance possessed by creatures living in the area are of particular importance when passing Sacred.
Many regions have diverse settlements. These are trading posts and villages, as well as large towns and cities.
The southern territories of Ankaria are washed by a vast sea. Adjacent to it are all the deserts of this continent, as well as the Lower Hell. There are many islands in the sea (especially along the coast). However, not all of them are available to the player. He can only get to the Island of Volcano, Pirates, Crabs, Treasures. The last one is available only to Demonice. Near the coast there are several more small nameless islands. They sometimes come across cave fish and ghouls.
In the southeastern and northwestern parts of the territory are mountainous areas. There is a lot of snow and ice. Forests grow in the east, north, and west. In the center of the country is the forest-steppe zone.
Portals
You can move around Ankaria quite quickly. To do this, the game has a system of portals. The player will need to open them. To do this, he needs to go along the portal slab or under the arch.
A similar system exists in the Dungeons. However, there the number of portals is much smaller, and they have no arch.
If passing Sacred involves a single-player mode, then the player, in order to find himself in the Dungeon, and then get back to Ankaria, will need to go through all the points of the main plot. Or, choosing Demonitsa as a character, fly through the strait from the island of Pirates to Nomad Nur.
In multiplayer, both systems are interconnected by an additional portal. It is located near Silver Creek on Vault Island.
When passing the game Sacred, you can take advantage of a network of two-way portals that are in no way connected with each other. Among them:
- automatically opening - Bellevue Seraph Monastery;
- available only after successfully completing the quest "Wilburg" - Urkenburg (strengthening the orcs);
- opening after the hero takes the key, killing the dragon north of Drakenden (cemetery east of Mistdale);
- also appearing after killing a dragon and raising a key, but only in the area of Frosward (western desert);
- arising when the key is in the hands after the destruction of the dragon in a cave of volcanic terrain (lava fields located south of Bravesbury);
- appearing when the player comes to the right place and waiting until the wizard opens the portal, or after the wizard is destroyed (a cave north of the castle called Raven Rock on the island east of Fairy Crossroads).
Difficulty levels
Passing Sacred quests can be different depending on the strength of the enemy. This characteristic is directly affected by the selected level of difficulty. There are five of them in the game. Moreover, for the names of each of these levels of complexity, the authors selected the names of precious metals. These are bronze and silver, gold and platinum, as well as niobium.
In the single-player version of the game, the first two difficulty levels, namely bronze and silver, become available to the player from the very beginning of the passage of the map. Gold will not be available immediately. In order to rise to this level, the player will have to completely go through any of the campaigns ("Ankaria" or "Dungeon"), and do it on the "silver" difficulty.
How to fall on the "platinum"? This level will be open only if the player completes the campaign on the difficulty of "gold". So is niobium. It will be available after passing the "platinum".
Several other conditions are offered in the multiplayer game. Here, the availability of a particular difficulty level will depend on the character selected. If it is in the range from 1 to 60, then you can select "bronze". On the "silver" the player will be able to overcome difficulties at a character level from 20 to 100. From 60 to 140, you can go to the "gold". From 100 to 180 - to "platinum", and from 140 to 216 - to try their hand at "niobium".
This layout allows you to understand the following: by choosing a character of the 60th, 100th or 140th level, you can access three levels of difficulty. Many gamblers consider the complete passage of all quests only to defeat Andukar, who is the main and last boss in the Dungeon campaign. It can only be maintained at the “niobium” level.
Game secrets
- The world of Ankaria is a place inhabited by eight dragons. Seven of them are very warlike. The player can kill them. The eighth dragon is very friendly. He will give the next few quests.
- If during the passage of the game Sacred move on the map to the sea in a southerly direction from Horad Nur, and then turn east and approach the rock, then you can find a narrow path along which you can get to the pier. Near it is a boat, sitting in which the player gets to the island, where the orcs rest. One of them, standing at the pier, will ask to save him from annoying tourists. How to do this? Enough to trample their towels. Angry, they will attack the hero who kills them. For this, the orc on the pier will give a present - sunglasses.
- When completing the quest for Seraphim, it becomes possible to become the owner of a real Jedi laser sword. To do this, the player must release Seraphim from the captivity of black magicians located near Bellevue. She was imprisoned in a cave located near an old mansion, where the Vampiress game begins. After this, you should head to Horad Nur. Next, the player’s path lies to the east. After passing through a dried riverbed, you should head south, and when you meet the rocks on the way, turn east and move along them. At the end of this path is a burnt building. In it you can find the dying Seraphim. After her death, the player gets a laser sword.
- While in the city called Fairy Crossroads, the player should go around the blacksmith’s house and head north, and then turn west. When you see the forest, you need to look for a thin path that leads to the southwest. Passing through it, the hero gets to the cave. It houses a mini-game called Pacman. You should collect the yellow balls, which will add experience. Blue is better not to touch. They will cause damage.
- After leaving Mistdale Castle, you should go to the north-east along the river bank. At its source is the village of Tristram. She is well known to those who played Diablo.
- North of the village of Drakenden, a well-camouflaged path can be found in the forest. It will lead to a clearing where you can find a hockey mask, as well as Jason's machete from the movie Friday the 13th. Only one character can use these items - Gladiator.
- In the Call of Ascaron tavern, located south of Braverock, you can talk with a man named Lucius. The player should kill him to take the key that opens the door to the X6 dungeon. After passing this turn to the X7 dungeon, the gamer will have to battle with the Queen of Vampires. Such a quest is available only when playing for the Vampiress.
- On the map is the grave of Torvin. You can go to it in only two ways. One of them runs through dungeon 73, located southwest of South Hedgton, and also through dungeon 76, which runs slightly west of the dragon, whose name is Ssilith. After the player enters the area with a small lake, he should find a tree marked with a red circle. Under it is the grave, in which lies the club of Torvin. A secret quest can also be performed here. To do this, you need to raise the sword in the green circle and take it to the lake, near which the player is waiting for Arogarn - forest shooter. But completing a secret quest is not available to everyone. Before this, another task must be completed. This is a quest called "Forest Shooter Arogarn." The place of its execution is located southwest of Bellevue, not far from the forest elf and the Dark Elf.
- During the passage of "Elements of Ankaria" in Sacred, a preliminary conversation with Sharif should take place. Next, the hero goes to the Frostgard Palace to pick up an element of air from the sanctuary. The character will have to kill the keeper, taking the rune to activate the mini-portal. After this, the hero’s path lies in Alcabazu nok Draco. After passing through the city on the marker, we have to get to the dragon's den, kill him and pick up the element of fire from the sanctuary. Next, we have a way to Zhurag-Nara. In the fortress, on its first level, there is a hall with a red floor for sacrifices. Here the hero will have to kill the supreme matriarchy Meglavari and, picking up the key to the door of the secret room, pick up the elements of earth from the sanctuary. After completing an additional plot task, which is called “Dams of Gnarlstat Dams”, it will be necessary to extract the element of water from the sanctuary located in Verag-Nara.
- In the quest "Deserts Riddles" when passing Sacred you will need to complete the task, which is issued by the inhabitant of the oasis near the captain's awning. It consists in finding a crazy wizard who should be located northeast of the oasis. Next should solve his riddle. If the answer is correct, the player receives a rune as a reward.
- Passing in Sacred Eyes of a wolf ("Eyes of the Wolf") will require the hero to defeat the Shara-Aguil. This is the leader of the pack of wolves that lives in the eastern part of Bellevue. Rune becomes a reward to the hero.
Sacred underworld
The campaign of this game begins from the moment that ended the adventures of the hero of the first version. As we walk through the Sacred Underworld, we learn that Baroness Villa has decided to join her beloved, already late Prince Valor. The player needs to kill four subcars. This will save the baroness from captivity. After this, there will be a battle with Andukar, who controls the path of violence by the inhabitants of the Underworld.
When passing Sacred Underworld, the player gets acquainted with new heroes. One of them is the Devil, who impresses with her spectacular spells and stylish appearance. This heroine knows dark magic and can use it to destroy her enemies. By this, she is capable of causing considerable damage. The authors taught her also to fly.
The second new hero you can meet while completing Sacred Underworld quests is the Dwarf. This character is rather stubborn, grouchy and tough. He copes well with war hammers and axes, and also knows how to use unique weapons inaccessible to other characters.
Slightly updated in this version of the chart. The authors added some special effects to it. In addition, the Sacred Underworld has expanded the game world by 40%. The properties of almost all unique items have changed. In this version, the entrance and exit from the cave was marked with a special icon located on the minimap.
Sacred 2
This continuation of the main game was released in 2008. The plot unfolds approximately 2 thousand years before the events that were described in the first part. Depending on his choice, the player will pass Sacred 2 in one of two campaigns. One of them represents the forces of Darkness, and the second - Light. Depending on the campaign, the player will have to exterminate the good or evil in order to free or subjugate the “Heart of Ankaria”.
Campaign of Darkness
Passing Sacred 2: Fallen Angel in the first stage is not at all difficult. The road of any of the characters lies in the temple of the Inquisitor Tahlret, which is located near the city of Slowford. This begins the main branch of the plot. The inquisitor says that the world is falling apart, and the country is dying due to the disbelief of the people. He gives the hero the first task. In the subsequent passage of Sacred 2: Fallen Angel, you will need to get rid of the Tractor unit, which sells girls into slavery to elves.
Having reached the city of Griffinboro, you should activate the portal. This will allow you to go beyond the city walls. Further, the path lies north to the tavern called "Royal Hangout". There is a person in it who can indicate the location of the Tractor. Killing him, we find in his pocket a letter from which we learn that the hero has to go to the Orkiy trail. Here we are waiting for a meeting with the Grand Inquisitor Nimanuel. He talks about the political feuds that exist among orcs. To continue the passage of Sacred 2, we need to help one of the clans. We kill the leader of the orcs who oppose him. After that, we get the task to defeat the monster who settled in the mountains. To do this, with the help of the barrel in which the explosive powder is located, we demolish the dam built by the monster. After this monster, defeating is easy enough.
Further passage of the game Sacred 2 brings us to the northern island, to which the hero reached by ship. Here you need to activate the portal. In the north of the island is a maid. She does not want to answer the creatures of Darkness to the question of where the Big Machine is. The hero goes to the temple, where he will collect the fragments of the sculpture. It turns out that Nimanuel also came to the island. He is unhappy with the hero and sends him to look for the dragon Mer-Kil. After a short battle, the monster is defeated.
For further passage of quests Sacred 2 you need to get into the swamps. Here in the lost city live lizards. The hero needs to become a member of their cult, so that residents begin to trust him. To do this, he kills a monster who was on the Rock of Skulls. After this, another task follows - to destroy the monument, which was erected in memory of its dead by another clan. After completing this quest, the hero receives the “Sign of the Nameless”, symbolizing immortality.
And here is a hero in the desert. A group of warriors approaches him. They force him to fight and remain defeated. Heading to the oasis. There is a man sitting there who talks about the upcoming elections and what we need to do so that the people put the prince at the head of state. To do this, you need a weapon called Hellfire, the elements of which must be taken from the opponent. After completing the assignment, we head to the alchemist who is against the prince. This person will need to convince. To do this, it is necessary to intercept the messenger from the brother of the king.
Next, the hero goes to the tropical jungle. There he meets with archaeologists who report that monsters guard the way to the city. Having dealt with the monster, we pass to the central column and click on it with the mouse. A hologram appears. It tells about the beginning of the Great War and that during this period the core of the Machine was moved to another place. The hologram that appeared on the second column spoke of a magical shield that made the Machine invisible. The information on the next column makes it clear that the key is in the dryads. We go to them.
You can only find dryads while completing the Company of Darkness in Sacred 2 by taking a ship to the southern part of the island. There we have to get to the Crystal Cave. It contains a cache with a key. After completing simple tasks, we reach our final goal. The main mission is completed. Now sail back on the ship.
While our hero was not in Ankarnia, the war began here. The main battle takes place near the Big Machine. First of all, you need to go into the castle with four doors to destroy sixteen devices. After completing this mission, the mission is considered completed.
Campaign of Light
Regardless of the character chosen by the player, he should go to the village headman Grodet, who deals with debts after stealing bags of jewelry. The first task is to find the thieves that everyone thinks are robbers. We take the bags from them. After this, the hero has the next task - the quest for an elven expedition. To do this, you should go to the royal hangout tavern, which is located in the capital Griffinboro. We learn that the elves appeared here several months ago. Further, the path lies west to the cave, from which the hero frees the captives. One girl said that her sister knows where to find the Tractor. Go to the land of orcs. After talking with them, we learn about the next task. It consists in bringing to the orcs a dozen teeth of evil trolls. The hero defeats the enemies and performs the task.
Next, we have to kill a monster that blocks the flow of the river. After the channel is drained with the help of the shaman's spells, it will not be difficult to deal with the monster. Elves report that seraphs became aware of the leak of magic. We leave for the ship. He takes us to the island. Here the hero will meet with the local Queen Sofia. She reports that Liosilate is on the island. We are going to meet him. Liosilate tells us that for protection we need an amulet of dragon scales. We get it.
The next quest is given by Mer-Kil. He proposes to destroy the demon living in the world of Karnah. After completing this mission, we leave for the Grakk family. Having made his way through the swamps, we approach the village. The elder invites the hero to become his relative. We go to the shaman living at the Sacred Bridge. He performs the necessary ritual. After passing a series of tasks, we find ourselves in the desert. Here we meet a man who talks about the situation that has developed in the country. In order to seize power, the king’s son decided to create destructive weapons. But for this, he needs a recipe that we have to bring from the cave. Having completed the task, we are looking in the desert for the alchemist Assim, who, having read the scroll, asks to bring him the blood of a scorpion. It is necessary to create weapons. After completing the assignment, we leave for the jungle. Here we are looking for a city and creating holograms. The information on them suggests that the machine of interest to the hero is invisible and is in a completely different place. We leave on a ship to the island for the key. It is located in the Crystal Cave. It is obtained by killing the monsters on the island.
We go back and get to the castle, where the battle is in full swing. We defeat the enemies and go to the large hall in which the computers are located. We go in four doors in order to destroy 16 devices. We activate the holograms and destroy the blue platform. Mission complete.
gold Edition
A continuation of the Sacred 2 series of games is Sacred 2: Gold Edition. Passing quests is an intriguing story, the side secrets and tasks of which are to unravel the hero. To do this, the player chooses for himself one of six characters. Passage Sacred 2: Gold edition includes complex spells, as well as breathtaking fighting techniques. The hero is available a large number of weapons and items. In the process of passing Sacred 2: Gold Edition, everyone can independently choose the necessary attributes for their character. This will create a unique hero. The passage of Sacred Gold can be carried out on horseback. They can be purchased from sellers who trade in different parts of Ankaria. Horse riding in the game corresponds to the character and greatly affects many aspects of his actions. Animals provide extra bonuses. In addition, they improve the fighting skills of heroes.
Sacred 3
All events that occur in this game unfold, as in previous versions, in Ankaria. After the actions described in the first part, 1000 years have passed. When passing Sacred 3, we get acquainted with the main antagonist - Zane Eschen, the ruler of the Ash Empire. The villain is in search of an ancient artifact, the Heart of Ankaria, which he wants to pick up.
The main character during the passage of Sacred 3 seeks to prevent him from doing this. Unlike previous games, the authors endowed the warriors with improved intelligence, and it will be possible to act against enemies only with the use of certain skills or with the use of interactive objects located on the map.
Ice and blood
Passage Sacred 2: Ice Blood takes the player to the times that preceded the third part for 900 years. A new character, the Drakomag, was added here, and the territory of Ankaria expanded. Traveling on these lands is not necessary, although the quests completed there will be recorded in the 11th act.
Handing out assignments to Zombie Bob. First, he asks the hero to bring some leather belts and skins. From this material he wants to sew a cloak. The hero will need to collect five leather belts that will be dropped by the Champions, and the same amount of leather that can be obtained from the Fire horses. After the assignment is successfully completed, sellers will come to the village. They will offer to buy the Fire Horse, as well as the Black or White Unicorn. In this version of the game, the characteristics of the riders are unremarkable.
We examined the main stages of the game. Good luck!